The invention relates to an apparatus for unlocking an electronic component, which can be inserted into a retaining apparatus, in particular a transceiver, which is held in the retaining apparatus by means of a locking element, with the apparatus having unlocking means for unlocking the locking element, where the unlocking means are formed integrally with the housing or with a part of the housing of the component. It is particularly suitable for unlocking transceivers which are inserted in a sheet-metal structure arranged on a printed circuit board and are latched to said structure (pluggable transceiver).
It is known for electronic transceivers to be inserted into a sheet-metal structure which is arranged on a printed circuit board. Such arrangements are used, in particular in so-called small form factor (SFF) pluggable transceivers which are physically small. An unlocking apparatus is provided for removing the transceiver from the sheet-metal structure, operates a latching element, and thus allows the transceiver to be removed.
A corresponding arrangement is shown in FIG. 5. To couple a transceiver 1 to the connections of a printed circuit board 3, the transceiver is pushed into a housing 2 which is connected to the printed circuit board 3. The housing 2 forms a sheet-metal cage which is normally composed of copper alloy or steel alloy and is formed from a lower part 21, connected to the printed circuit board, and an upper part 22 which can be placed on the lower part. A plug part 6 arranged in the housing is used to make contact with corresponding contacts on the transceiver 1. The transceiver 1 has electronic transducers in a manner known per se, such as a Fabry-Perot Laser or VCSEL laser, and a photodiode.
A sheet-metal tongue 5 is provided on the lower part 21 of the housing 2 in order to secure the transceiver 1 in the housing 2 and, once the transceiver 1 has been pushed into the housing 2, latches behind a latching tab arranged on the bottom face of the transceiver 1 and thus locks the transceiver 1 in the housing 2. In order to remove the transceiver 1 from the housing 2 once again, a separate unlocking element 4 is provided according to the prior art, which pushes the sheet-metal tongue 5 downwards when it is operated, and thus unlocks the transceiver 1.
This relationship is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6a, 6b. The section view in FIG. 6a and the bottom view shown in FIG. 6b show a latching tab 7 on the housing of the transceiver 1, behind which the sheet-metal tongue (see FIG. 6) comes to rest when the transceiver 1 is latched in. The separate unlocking element 4, which is formed by a slide 4, is provided for unlocking. The slide 4 can be moved in the direction of the latching tab 7 and, when moved appropriately, has inclined unlocking tabs 41 which engage under the sheet-metal tongue 5 so that the latter is pressed away downward and breaks contact with the latching tab 7. The transceiver 1 is now unlocked and can be removed from the connection housing 2.
A first disadvantage of the known arrangement is that the moving slide must be attached to the transceiver housing separately. Secondly, the unlocking element is operated in the direction opposite the movement direction when the transceiver is being removed, that is to say the operating direction is in the wrong sense since a part which is attached to the housing must be pushed in a direction opposite to the removal direction. A further disadvantage of the known arrangement is that the unlocking element must be moved through several millimeters along the bottom face of the transceiver, and is thus difficult to reach and operate.
The present invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus for unlocking an electronic component which can be inserted a retaining apparatus, in particular a transceiver, which apparatus allows easily controllable removal of the component, is of simple construction and can be produced cost-effectively.
This object is achieved according to the invention by an unlocking apparatus for unlocking an electronic component which can be inserted into a retaining apparatus, in particular a transceiver, which is held in the retaining apparatus by means of a locking element, with the apparatus having unlocking means for unlocking the locking element, the unlocking means being formed integrally with the housing or with a part of the housing of the component. Preferred and advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
Accordingly, the invention provides that, in order to unlock a locking element of the retaining apparatus, the unlocking means are formed integrally with the housing of the component or with a part of the housing of the component. Since the unlocking means and the housing are integral, this results in an integral solution which integrates the unlocking means in the housing and thus saves an additional part in comparison to the prior art. The production cost is thus reduced and assembly is also simplified, since the unlocking means no longer need be fitted to the housing. This thus provides a simple and cost-effective solution.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the unlocking means have a rocker which is formed on the housing or housing part. The rocker in this case comprises an operating part, which can be operated by an operator for unlocking, and an unlocking part. When the operating part has not been operated, the rocker is located in an unoperated position. When the operating part is operated, the rocker moves to an operated position, in which the locking element is unlocked. The use of a rocker to initiate unlocking of the component provides a simple and cost-effective solution. The operating part is in this case preferably lengthened or bent in such a way that it is easily accessible to, and can correspondingly be operated easily by, an operator.
In one preferred development, the rocker is connected to at least one reset spring. The reset spring, for example a leaf spring or a torsion spring, is in this case preferably likewise formed integrally with the housing, or with a part of the housing of the component. The use of a reset spring ensures that the component is unlocked only when the operating part of the rocker is operated and that the component is otherwise securely latched in the retaining apparatus. The reset spring which is used engages on the rocker, preferably in the region of the rotation axis or tilting axis of said rocker, in order to ensure that the rocker is reset to the unoperated state in a simple manner. The reset spring preferably results in the rocker being connected to the housing or housing part of the component in this case.
In one preferred refinement of the invention, the operating part of the rocker is arranged in the region of the optical inlet in the transceiver. In this way, the operating part is easily accessible and simple to operate. In order to avoid reducing the size of the retaining opening in the optical inlet by the arrangement of the operating part, the optical inlet in this case preferably has an elongated depression, which at least partially accommodates the operating part and, if appropriate, the unlocking part as well. Since the unlocking part in such an arrangement is arranged in the interior of the housing, the housing wall has an opening through which the unlocking part makes contact with the locking element in the operated state, so that the unlocking process can be carried out.
In one further advantageous refinement of the invention, the operating part and the unlocking part are formed in the bottom face of the housing of the component. In consequence, the unlocking part is immediately adjacent to the locking element, which can be operated when required.
The operating direction of the operating part is preferably at right angles to the removal direction of the component, or even in the removal direction of the component. Such an operating direction can be provided by suitable arrangement of the rocker, which is preferably in the form of the unlocking apparatus. An operating direction at right angles to or even in the removal direction of the component avoids the situation in the prior art where a movement in the opposite direction to the removal direction must first of all be carried out for unlocking.
The unlocking apparatus according to the invention and the housing are preferably manufactured integrally from plastic, for example using the cost-effective injection-molding method.